The present invention relates to compositions and processes for making leavened high soy protein-containing bakery products which have good loaf volume, can be covered with suitable spreads without difficulty, have good crumb stability, and have organoleptic properties similar to traditional wheat-based, non-soy bakery product.
Soybeans have long been recognized for their health benefits based on epidemiological studies showing a decrease in the risk of several cancers (including breast, prostate and colon) and cardiovascular disease. These favorable health benefits may be attributed to isoflavones and a variety of other phytochemicals found in the beans and their products. Soybeans are also considered to be an excellent source of dietary protein, iron, vitamin-B, and calcium. Soy has also been shown to significantly decrease amylopectin recrystallization in bread products, thus it has beneficial effects on the shelf life of food items. Soy-based products are available in the form of raw and dried beans, soy flour, soy milk, soy oil and coagulated soy curd. Soy is also incorporated into many prepared products such as cheese, cereals, sauces, pasta, meat substitutes, and baked goods, including breads.
Due to growing consumer awareness of the health benefits of soy, there is a greater demand among consumers for soy-based products. Soy protein has been found to reduce the risk of heart disease when consumed as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol. In order to obtain the heart-healthy benefits of soy, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends that an individual should eat at least 25 grams of soy protein daily. For a product to constitute an acceptable source of soy protein, a serving must provide about 6.25 g/serving of soy protein, as well as be low in fat, low in saturated fat, and low in cholesterol. In addition to reduced risk of heart disease, some research indicates that consumption of soy protein may also reduce the risk of osteoporosis and various forms of cancer (including breast, prostate and colon) and reduce the symptoms of menopause.
A number of consumer food products have been developed that incorporate soy, however, the typical bakery product contains soy in amounts that fall far below 6.25 g/serving. Such products cannot therefore use the FDA soy-based claim on the food packaging.
In addition to lacking a high soy protein content, many bakery products are also deemed unpalatable to many consumers even at relatively low soy protein amounts of 2 g per serving. It is well known that the addition of soy commonly imparts undesirable characteristics to bakery products. In particular, as compared with traditional wheat-based products, bread and other bakery products made with soy are typically of lesser volume, dark in color, very dense and chewy, and have a crumb texture that results in poor spreadability of spreads such as peanut butter. These products are also characterized by a beany and sometimes bitter taste. There is therefore a need for high-soy protein-containing bakery products that impart the “heart-healthy” benefits attributed to a high soy-protein content, and are also appealing to consumer tastes.